Bob,

You have discribed how to pump out the holding tank. Yes, you open the thu hull and turn on the macerator.

A word of caution: I do not recall if it the limit is 3 or 5 mile offshore minimum for discharging the holding tank. MAKE SURE you have the thru hull valve wired in the closed position inshore, there is a hefty fine if it is not secured in the closed position. If you are caught pumping in a no discharge area, the fine can be up to $10,000.

Some feel that this is why fishing is so poor off our coast now, all the fish now need to swim five miles offshore to take a leak, they get tired and say the heck with it and just stay out there.

The limit is 3 miles. Your must be at least 3 miles outside any US landmass in order to pump the holding tank or open the Y-valve thruhull to "direct deposit". [I am not familiar with the application of this rule to the waters between mainland and Catalina island. 26 miles minus 3 minus 3 = 20 miles of dumpable waters??? Answering this question is above my paygrade.]

I use plastic zipties, as from Home Depot or Lowes, to "lock" my Y-valve and holding tank thruhulls closed. That's TWO different thruhulls on my boat. I had to drill a small hole in the plastic handle of one of the thruhulls to insert the ziptie.

A friend of mine got busted not because he was emptying the tank (he wasn't), not because the thruhull was open (it wasn't), but because he did not "lock" it with a ziptie or other method.

Be warned.

I'm not sure I understand how you are plumbed from your description. In our boat (a 1991 C36), which I think is probably plumbed like many other boats, the head discharge line goes to a Y-valve. One branch of the Y-valve takes it to a thru-hull, with a valve. If you use this alignment, you can open the valve and pump out directly into the sea water (if it's legal) using the the head pump. Be sure to close the thru hull.

The other branch from the Y-valve goes to the holding tank. From the holding tank another hose goes to a T. From the T one hose branches up to the pump out plate on deck. The other branch goes to the intake side of the macerator. From the macerator the output hose goes to another through-hull with a valve.

So, if you are using the holding tank (which you have to do by law in many places, as noted by others), you have two choices. You can pump it out at a pump out facililty, or (if you can do so legally or in good conscience) you can open the thru-hull downstream from the macerator and run the macerator to drain the holding tank. Be sure the close the thru-hull valve afterwards, or you can get seawater coming back up into the holding tank, I'm told.

I hope this is helpful.

--Nelson Lee

Just FYI - it is not always 3 miles offshore for overboard discharge of waste. On the west coast of Florida, the limit is 9 miles.

9 miles! As a sailing instructor I ought to know that. What reference can you cite for that, Duane?

Thanks,

Larry,

The rules can be a bit vague. I know that the rule in northern California is 3 Miles but, from the Farlon Islands south to Monterey are part of the Montery Marine Protection Zone, going to their web site it is not clear if you can discharge in that area at all, it does discuss ships over and under 300 gross tons and type II and III sanitation systems buy, no mention of recreational boats and no phone number to call.

I also believe that there is a special protection area around the Channel Islands in Southern California as well but, trying to find the rules is trying.

You guys are opening up a whole new arena of regulation for me. This could really complicate my sailing instruction. I suppose I'll have to ask for more pay.

[QUOTE=LCBrandt;1829]9 miles! As a sailing instructor I ought to know that. What reference can you cite for that, Duane?
[/QUOTE]

Larry,

It is surprisingly (maybe not) difficult to find the law on the web. This is the first one I could get (see last sentence on web page).

[url]http://www.boat-ed.com/fl/handbook/wastedischarge.htm[/url]

Duane, thank you. Ya learn something new every day. I teach the Boat Ed course for the Oregon State Marine Board, but that has never been mentioned *even though* they spend way too much time talking about the ICW! This discharge restriction must be due to a local (ie, State of Florida law), not a federal regulation.

You are most welcome, Larry. The issue here is that state waters extend the typcial 3 miles out on the Altlantic coast, but 9 miles out on the Gulf coast, almost certainly due to the very shallow water in the Gulf. This affects, for example, the age limits for wearing of life jackets, discharge regulations, and all the fishing rules one must abide by.

If you go 10 miles into federal waters and catch the legal limit of certan fish, once you cross into state waters on your way back home, you have OVER the legal limit. It can get very contentious as you could imagine.

I just used some duct tape to "lock" closed the through hull from the macerator. Do you think this would be considered to be in compliance, or do I have to drill a hole in the handle and actually wire it shut?

I am a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and inspect a few dozen boats a year. Sadly, I have never been able to get a consistent answer from any of the many enforcement agencies empowered to inspect and ticket you.

Here is my take:
The law about locking the thru-hull seacock was aimed at the many boats that had a Y-valve right inside the head where you could quickly and easily choose to dump directly overboard. The idea of the rule was to make it difficult for someone to casually dump overboard.

With many boats today taking toilet discharge directly into a holding tank, the situation is different. If your boat has a valve setting that allows the tank to drain overboard continually, you better make sure that is closed and locked in some fashion. On our boat, the only way to get waste out of the tank besides a vacuum pump-out is to revoe seat cusions, open a seacock AND turn on a macerator pump. It requires a few deliberate actions.

There is no good way for my seacock handle to be truly locked without modification. Some have used 5200 adhesive to secure a wood block to the hull where they can fashion some locking device. I chose to place a piece of aluminum angle over the hose/seacock and use plastic cable ties to secure it. In order to discharge overboard, I have to remove those ties with a cutter.

Over 90% of the boats I inspect have the same situation as I do and most have made some attempt to "lock" it. It is sad that you could run into a zealous officer or Coastie who will look for any excuse to fine you, but my hope is that if you make it plain you understand the restriction against overboard discharge and explain the steps you have taken to comply, you shoud be fine.

We use plastic cable ties and passed a CG inspection at the Catalina Rendezvous a year ago at Encinal YC.